NEW YORK – July 10, 2013 – Unexpected twists and turns await in the fifth season of Syfy’s highly-rated and acclaimed unscripted series,Face Off, debuting Tuesday, August 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Eight talented and up-and-coming special effects make-up artists arrive to the competition in Los Angeles to a shocking revelation -- among their competition are eight more contestants from past seasons of Face Off, all hungry for a chance at redemption. The stakes are higher than ever as they jump right into their first Foundation Challenge in which they must complete the looks of costumed partygoers for an elaborate costume ball, with colorfully dressed cast members from Syfy’s new docu-series Heroes of Cosplay in attendance for inspiration. Heroes of Cosplay premieres immediately following Face Off.

Returning to the lab for the new season is actress and host McKenzie Westmore, along with judges Ve Neill (The Hunger Games, The Amazing Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean), Glenn Hetrick (CSI: New York, The Hunger Games, Heroes) and Neville Page (Avatar,Prometheus). World-renowned makeup artist -- and McKenzie’s dad – Michael Westmore resumes his role as the official contestant mentor to the contestants.

For the Spotlight Challenges this season the contestants are tasked to create fully-realized characters that not only look camera ready for TV or film, but also tell a story specific to the challenge’s genre, scene or world. The new season’s challenges include creating a futuristic Frankenstein and his bride; a whimsical character inspired by Mother Goose nursery rhymes; a Morlock-inspired subterranean humanoid beast; an alluring Mother Earth goddess inspired by the contestants’ own moms; a reimagined and modern version of a classic Halloween character complete with an articulating ‘treat’; an original living art character inspired by Cubism, Surrealism, Pop Art, Expressionism and Constructivism; a stylized alien for an out-of-this-world performance on the Reveal Stage with world-renown circus troupe, Cirque Berzerk; a grim character inspired by one of the seven deadly sins; a scary ghost with a comedic edge; a dark elf warrior for a fantastical elven army; and an exotic flying creature/human-hybrid.

For the finale, the final three contestants will each create two lead characters from Swan Lake: a woman transforming into a swan and the sorcerer who casts the spell on her. These finale makeups will be put to the test in an epic performance by the Los Angeles Ballet.

The Face Off contestants will be whittled down week by week, until only three remain for a finale showdown. The winning artist will receive $100,000, a 2013 Fiat and a VIP trip from Kryolan Professional Make-Up to one of their 85 international locations. Kryolan Professional Make-Up has joined the series as the official make-up sponsor.

To meet the cast of season four, see photo galleries and video, visit www.syfy.com/faceoff. Photography and bios are also available at www.nbcumv.com. Following are the season five Face Off contestants:

VETERANS

Name: Alana Schiro (season three)

Age: 20

Hometown: New York, NY

Residence: Northridge, CA

Name: Bryan “Tate” Steinsiek (season one)

Age: 31

Hometown: Henryetta, OK

Residence: Henryetta, OK

Name: Eric Zapata (season four)

Age: 23

Hometown: Victoria, TX

Residence: Victoria, TX

Name: Frank Ippolito (season one)

Age: 32

Hometown: Cleveland, OH

Residence: Burbank, CA

Name: Laura Tyler (season three)

Age: 27

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Residence: Orlando, FL

Name: Miranda Jory (season two)

Age: 21

Hometown: Louisville, KY and Seattle, WA

Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Name: Robert “RJ” Haddy (season two)

Age: 36

Hometown: Charleston, WV

Residence: Charleston, WV

Name: Roy Wooley (season three)

Age: 46

Hometown: Tucker, GA

Residence: Tucker, GA

NEWCOMERS

Name: Adolfo Barreto Rivera

Age: 32

Hometown: Puerto Rico

Residence: Las Vegas, NV

Name: Alaina “Laney” Parkhurst

Age: 23

Hometown: Manitou Beach, MI

Residence: West Hollywood, CA

Name: Edward “Eddie” Holecko

Age: 20

Hometown: Berea, Ohio

Residence: Savannah, GA

Name: Lymari “Lyma” Millot

Age: 33

Hometown: El Paso, TX

Residence: El Paso, TX

Name: Sam “Rick” Prince

Age: 38

Hometown: Nashville, TN

Residence: Nashville, TN

Name: Samantha Allen

Age: 27

Hometown: Tinton Falls, NJ

Residence: Bayville, NJ

Name: Scott Ramp

Age: 52

Hometown: Salem, OR

Residence: Pasadena, CA

Name: Steve Tolin

Age: 33

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Residence: Pittsburgh, PA

Face Off is an authentic depiction of the high creative standards necessary for a special effects make-up artist to succeed in their craft. The series debuted in January 2011 as a new reality competition program to critical and ratings success. Season four of Face Off averaged 2.8 million total viewers.

Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Derek Atherton serving as executive producers.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)